Lore Olympus Revised
by MugWhumps
Summary: For any other fans of Lore Olympus who need more Hades angst and whump in their lives, this is the fic for it. Novelization of Lore Olympus that detours into an AU with focus on Big Blue himself.
1. Chapter 1

The electric blue glow from hundreds of buildings and street lights flashed across the top of a sleek, black car as the vehicle zoomed down a busy street. Amidst the honks from other cars and the hustle and bustle of the Underworld, the realm's ruler took his eyes off the road for a brief moment to frown impatiently at his phone. Brows furrowed in frustration, he quickly tapped out a blunt, "Where are you?" and sent it. Miles away, the recipient grazed a crimson nail over the message and huffed out a cruel chuckle with a smirk on her perfectly done lips. Without even bothering to respond, the nymph clicked off her phone and put her hand to her hip while she took another long drag of her cigarette. Bright yellow eyes half-lidded with satisfaction, she exhaled smoothly and blinked lazily at the haze of smoke that wafted up from her mouth and curled around her face. With that last smoke, she put out her cigarette against the wall and flicked it into the trash can before starting up her bath. A few expensive articles of provocative lingerie dropped carelessly to the floor, and then she was stepping into her steaming bathroom and slowly reclining in the tub with a sigh, her phone still dangling from one hand thrown lazily over the side of the tub.

Back out on the busy streets of his city, the king of the Underworld had a few minutes of uninterrupted driving to himself before his phone started beeping incessantly. He glanced down at it with a mask of dismissiveness, but he still felt a little spike of mingled annoyance and anxiety as he brought the device up to his eyes to read the name of the caller. _Minthe._ With a sharp inhale of dread, he lifted his phone the rest of the way up to his ear and, after taking a brief moment to steel himself, answered.

"Hey!" Before he could get a single word out, Minthe's chipper voice cut in, somehow managing to be both bubbly and sharp as glass at the same time. The nymph leaned back into her tub even further, extending one of her legs up into the air playfully from the mountain of bubbles. Meanwhile, on the other side of the call, the god flinched at the sound of her.

"You're late…" he said coldly, not bothering with returning her pleasantries. Brusque and straight to the point, that was how he dealt with Minthe. Well, tried to. He couldn't help the way his words hung uncertainly in the air, stuck somewhere between a statement and a question as he waited for an acknowledgement. A moment passed like this, and he swallowed thickly, pushing his doubts back. "Where are you?" But instead of answering him, the blood-red nymph butted in with a question of her own.

"Did you get me that purse I wanted?" She asked impatiently, an unconcerned smile tugging at her cherry lips. She could almost hear his confusion over the connection as he blinked, mouth parting, taken aback as the dip in his brows deepened. Instead of coal black eyes roving cooly over the city, bright red ones, the exact same shade as Minthe's skin, were now struggling to focus on driving as the mixed feelings of anger and disappointment grew around his insecurity. This question of hers was frustratingly familiar.

"Um, yeah. I did, but—"

"Oh great!" Minthe exclaimed happily over his discontented mumbles. Her mouth widened into a grin and she closed her eyes, letting her long, wet hair fall in front of her face. Pushing his foot against the gas pedal a little too hard, the king of the dead clenched his fist around his phone as his gut churned. _Don't let her change the subject, _he reminded himself sharply. He closed his eyes tightly with a grimace, then opened them again after he had gotten himself back under control.

"You're coming to the Panathenaea with me, right?" He asked, tone shifted back to dispassionate and clipped. A long pause ensued over the phone. Back in her apartment, Minthe had taken to picking at her nails carelessly, her tongue stuck out to the side in concentration as she pondered how to reply. The seconds burned against the god's ear, and just as he was about to push it the nymph finally answered him with a crushingly dismissive response.

"Hmm…" She now extended her arm fully, observing the faint scratches and peeling of her fake nails with a wrinkled nose. "I don't think so." What had begun as a trickle outside was now escalating into a downpour. Fat raindrops washed over the rearview mirrors of the ruler's car and distorted his scowling reflection. _Of course._ He had been expecting this from the beginning, but that didn't make the situation any less disappointing. Somehow, each new betrayal from Minthe managed to hurt just as much, if not even more, than the one before it. Still, he kept pushing, not wanting to just let it go like he always did, not tonight.

"What do you mean?" He snapped harshly, finally allowing his anger to bleed into their conversation. Across the line, Minthe's eyebrows quirked up wickedly at his temper, grin widening to show all her teeth now that she had gotten him where she wanted. She languished in her tub as she stoked the fire purposefully, her words slashing through the steam hovering above the tub like a dagger.

"What I mean is I don't particularly feel like being seen in public with you today." High, spiteful, and cruel, the nymph's voice was like a punch to the gut, and his eyes flared crimson once more, burning hotly.

"Real classy, Minthe. Come on, stop messing around," he growled back in a dangerous baritone. "I can't go to my brother's party by myself."

"I don't feel like being seen with you in general," Minthe declared primly, letting her head fall back so that her hair pooled on the tiled floor. She let out a simpering sigh, false compassion bleeding into her insults like poison. "Hades, all the fine suits in the world…" The god's bright red eyes shuttered shut in anticipation of the blow before she could even strike it. For a brief moment, his world was drowned out in cruel, hateful red. "...Won't change the fact that you stink of death."

As Minthe's voice dropped to a heartless whisper, Hades opened up his gaze again to reveal twin fires burning furiously in their sockets. His lips pulled back to bare his teeth as they ground against each other, black smoke surging up from his body, and for a brief moment he let all the rage, hurt, and bitterness that he felt boil over and snatch away his control. Suddenly, a honk and a shriek of tires against asphalt dragged him back from the ledge as a car veered out of the way of his own, just barely missing being hit by the vehicle barreling down the road. With a curse and a slam of his foot on the brakes, Hades bit his lip hard enough to tear it, exhaled sharply through his nose, and, with a final shudder, the smoke and fury disappeared as though it had never existed, leaving only a faint maroon glow leaking out from his wet eyes.

With one last click, Hades shut off his phone just as he reached the Panathenaea and brought his car to an abrupt halt. As soon as he had taken his keys out of the ignition, he felt something hot and wet land on his finely tailored suit, and immediately his hand was at his eyes, rubbing away the tears vigorously. Shame flooded his body at the loss of discipline, simmering deep in his chest achingly. Only when his eyes were rubbed raw and so dry they hurt did he allow himself to step out of the vehicle, checking and double checking that he had everything in a defeated attempt at delaying the inevitable. With one last shaky sigh, the god of the dead turned around to face the lavish scene of his brother's party, barely glancing at the gorgeous modern mansion as he marched across the parking area in swift strides like he was running away from the call that had just taken place. His brisk pace startled dozens of petals off of a full bush of blue roses that matched his skin, leaving them to float around him like they were following behind. The only thing that gave away his nerves was his constant fidgeting with his suit; adjusting and readjusting his bowtie, brushing off his suit jacket, and straightening his dress shirt relentlessly.

Satyrs, centaurs, and mortals alike all turned their heads as the most feared god of the pantheon stormed by, clearly in an awful mood. Terrified partygoers stumbled out of his way, going ghostly pale whenever they caught a glimpse of his stony expression and blood-red eyes. They crowded together in tight-knit groups and whispered fervently, struggling to not draw the attention of the angry god as they chanced hasty glances at him with wide eyes. Despite their best efforts, Hades could feel each and every one of their stares boring into him from all angles and hear all the harsh whispers grating on his ears as they buzzed around him like wasps. He was used to them, could usually stand them, but not tonight. Tonight, he wasted no time in all but racing up the steps to the entryway and escaping to the top level of the mansion, far, far away from anyone who could hurt him.

* * *

"Hey," a regal, matronly voice echoed from ahead. Hades ignored it, just as he had ignored all the drunken cries of every other attendee. "Hey," it persisted, and distantly he began to wonder if it was searching him out. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. He kept walking. "HEY!"

Suddenly, another Olympian materialized in front of him, completely blocking his path and forcing his eyes downward to meet her own irritated ones. Finally startled out of his mission to get as far away from other people as possible, the older god slowed his footsteps and glared questioningly at the offender. Now that she had his attention, however, he didn't have to wait long for the reason she was haranguing him.

"Where's your date, Blue-boy?"

"Gone," he sneered, not leaving a room for a hair's breadth between her snappy question and his snarled answer as he whipped his head towards the goddess. As soon as he made eye contact with those familiar baby-blues, though, all the heat left his body and he suddenly felt very, very tired. His grimace twitched downward into a deep, sorrowful frown, shoulders falling into a heavy stoop from where they had been painfully bunched up. Casting his gaze towards the floor, eyes no longer red but their usual onyx, he exhaled quietly, defeated. "I need a drink," he murmured.

Slowly the goddess in front of him tilted her radiant, golden face up to his, searching him questioningly. After a moment she seemed to have found what she was looking for, and a brief flash of pity shone across her countenance. She was swift to erase it, however, and traded it with a fastidious puff of air and an expression of mingled relief and exasperation.

"Well I for one am grateful!" She announced with a shrug of her shoulders and a sardonic eye roll. Meeting Hades' dismal gaze evenly, she continued, "I don't have to spend an evening with that nymph trash." Hades looked down his nose at her sharply at the insult to his date, but her only response was a small, eager smile and a gentleness in her eyes directed up at him. The tightness in his chest abated just a little at her own display of sympathy, knowing what she was trying to get across without her needing to explicitly say it. _"Good. She's not worthy of you anyways. You deserve better."_ Still, he didn't release his worry completely, needing to know one last thing before he continued on with the night.

"Did Poseidon bring his wife?"

The golden goddess' stomach dropped in pity as Hades cocked his head to the side, eyes slightly wider than before in unconscious pleading that she say no. Unable to look him in the eyes, she dropped hers, only to see him fidgeting with a small piece of cloth, stretching it out and rolling it between his fingers anxiously in a trained, subconscious habit. She raised one eyebrow in startled confusion. After all these millennia, she had never known of this nervous habit of his. Her face fell sadly and she forced herself to look back up at him.

"...Yes."

Hades rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, avoiding her annoyingly compassionate expression as he gave the cloth between his fingers a particularly hard yank.

"Great! So I'm the only one alone?" He burst out frustratedly, throwing his left hand in the air demandingly and shoving the cloth back in his jacket pocket.

"Relax, no one will notice," his companion soothed with an alluring smile gracing her face, raising her drink as she shrugged easily. Hades scoffed in exasperation, not so easily convinced, and frowned down at the petite goddess as his eyes glowed red again.

"You did," he protested pointedly, the deep furrow returned to his brows. An almost imperceptible wince crossed her expression, but before she could try to reassure him a rowdy, very clearly alcohol-laden voice hurled itself right in the middle of their conversation.

"HERA!" Just as the goddess in question darted her gaze to the source of the call, a royal violet god in a sparkling white suit came up behind her and spun her around, sweeping her off her feet and into the air with a coy smile. "Hera, I've been looking for you everywhere!" He cried buoyantly, turning on his heels as Hera laughed in cheerful surprise. "You look so beautiful tonight!"

"Oh stop, you're embarrassing me!" Hera declared, blushing delicately, hands thrown up in helpless exasperation; but it was clear by the playful kicking of her legs and the sweet smile she had adopted that her captor was anything but. He leaned in eagerly, eyes narrowing seductively at her as his voice dropped to a gravelly murmur.

"How 'bout we get outta here?" Hera laughed even harder at his proposition, eyes wide with girlish delight.

"You big silly! You can't leave your own party." She lifted her chin up commandingly, practically sparkling, now completely oblivious to Hades standing just a few feet away from the two's very obvious flirting. Chuckling, the purple god ran his hands down her sides lightly, tracing her figure deliberately until he reached a spot that made the queen of the heavens writhe around, giggling like mad. "That tickles!"

Meanwhile, Hades could've been carved out of stone as he glared at the scene, blatantly unimpressed.

"Ahem," he coughed loudly with an exaggerated raise of one eyebrow, purposefully averting his gaze and fidgeting with his bow tie even more while he waited for the couple to notice him. Just as the other god had bent Hera over in his arms and had his lips barely a millimeter from hers, he finally looked over and saw their audience.

"Ohhhhh!" He gasped, his roguish expression switching to a pleasant, wide-eyed smile. "Hello, Hades. I didn't see you there." Hera glanced over too, flushed in the face and slightly out of breath, one hand still tugging at her partner's tie. The god glanced to the left of Hades, glanced to the right, and suddenly a lightbulb went off in his head. "Hey, where's your date?" The sullen, kicked-puppy expression attached itself right back to Hades' face, and all the excitement went out of Hera's face in one long groan. She covered her eyes with one hand, the moment gone in seconds.

"Zeus, I wish you knew when to shut up."

* * *

Away from Zeus' elaborate party, away from the Underworld or Olympus, and far removed from any other men, a single house sat with all its lights still on despite the late hour and twinkling stars above, clearly visible without the pollution of light. Outside one of the home's glass doors stood a black cat, waiting patiently for its owner to let it back inside, darting its big yellow flashlight eyes around at all the sounds and smells of the outdoors. From the other side of the glass pane, it could hear muffled conversation between its owner and her housemate.

"Hey, Artemis!" The first voice, light and bubbly, chirped from the doorframe of a silver master bedroom where a blue-violet goddess sat on her bed underneath a gigantuan elk head. The goddess turned her head around at the voice, clearly having been expecting it. "What do you think?" It continued shyly. Artemis turned herself around fully, only for her eyebrows to draw themselves across her face as she stared at her housemate. Standing up slowly, eyes roving up and down the other's outfit again and again, she sighed.

"Persephone… You can't wear that," she told her young friend gently. Then, less hesitantly, "You look like a relic." Persephone's expectant smile faded away into disappointment.

"But this is the only dress I have right now…" she protested weakly, rubbing at her pink cheek nervously with one hand. But Artemis suddenly smiled hopefully from behind her dark, straight hair.

"I've got something you can borrow!" She suggested with one hand upturned placatingly. The goddess of spring, dressed in a traditional lengthy white gown, enrobed in a hot pink sash and dangling golden jewelry, jerked her head up excitedly with an open, joyful expression. Blushing youthfully, she whipped the flowery veil out from her face.

"Thanks!" She replied with heartfelt gratitude radiating from her words and glowing countenance. Tilting her head so that the very tips of her fingertips grazed her short pink pixie cut, she finished with angelic genuinity. "You're a real lifesaver!" Her eyes shone, and the whole room was filled with an excitement completely unique to her.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time that all the clocks had struck eleven, the whole of Greece was asleep. The night sky was clear as… well, not day, because Helios was away, but rather crystal. The stars glittered like diamonds, scattered about the deep emptiness, and Selene's moon was perfectly full and round. It was so bright that night that if there were any people walking about they would find it surprisingly easy to see all the rocks and divots strewn about the ground ahead of them—but, of course, no one was awake. At least, not any mortals. High above the fields and rivers, above the hills and beaches, a celebration like no other raged among the great stars. However, among the hundreds of immortals, magical creatures, and heroes of old, there remained two gods who could not bring themselves to succumb to the revelries.

* * *

"I don't think I should have come to this party…" The first of the two immortals fretted, small pink hands worrying the hem of her scandalously short golden dress. Her friend only grinned to herself, not nearly as concerned.

"Come oooon, you look fantastic!" Persephone, though, was not at all reassured. She lowered her eyes to the tiled floor even though no one could see her, tugging the bottom of the shimmering fabric even more violently.

"I feel out of my depth," she confessed quietly. "Everyone's going to think I'm some stupid village girl." Artemis scoffed incredulously, but the goddess of spring stubbornly remained in the stall she was in, burning holes into a row of vines she could see through the crack in between doors with orange fruit dangling from them. The vines, as it happened, were the first things she saw all night that even remotely reminded her of her home on earth.

"Nobody's going to think that." Suppressing a yawn, the purple goddess leaned back against a white marble pillar, stretching one arm above her head and pulling the heel of her opposite leg up to her bottom. As much as she wanted to be their for her younger friend, she was beginning to get restless and a bit sore from standing in the same place for so long. "Come on. I don't want to talk to a bathroom stall all night."

In the safety of her stall, Persephone swallowed thickly. "Artemis," she mumbled, eyes wide and vulnerable, "I'm really nervous." All traces of boredom faded from Artemis' face at Persephone's audible fear and she immediately straightened up.

"Awww, Persephone," the goddess of the hunt said softly, wrapping her arms around her middle and tugging at her shoulders with sympathetic eyes. "You'll do fine." Then, as a comforting afterthought: "We'll stay under the radar." Persephone bit her bottom lip.

"One drink and then we can go, right?" Artemis smiled encouragingly.

"Promise."

For a few long moments, there was silence. Then, with the hesitancy of a newborn deer just learning its way around, the small figure of Persephone inched her way out of the bathroom stall. Even though her face was still anxious, she met her best friend's own smiling eyes and let her lips curl up a bit.

"...Okay."

* * *

High, high above the two goddesses, surveying the whole of the party from behind an enormous glass wall, a very similar scene was playing out between three brothers.

"One drink and then I can go, right?" The oldest of the three asked impatiently, arms crossed protectively over his chest and fingers tapping out a frantic rhythm against his bicep.

Unfortunately for him, his companions were not nearly as supportive as Persephone's.

"What?!" Zeus, lord of the heavens, protested loudly, making a face at the lord of the dead, aghast. "No-no-no-no. The festivities have just begun!" Zeus was right. Thousands of gods, monsters, and mortals were bumping shoulders on the dance floor under the flashing blue and violet lights, laughing and gossiping loudly. Creatures of all shapes and sizes ground their bodies together to the beat booming from nowhere, waving their hands in the air all together like a single, pulsating organism. Elegant nymphs flipped and spun around the stripper poles scattered across the space, entertaining the increasingly drunken patrons. Poseidon turned to Hades as three glasses clinked below them in a cheer to utter intoxication.

"What's the problem?" The sea god asked with a crooked little roguish grin. "Normally you drink us under the table." Before Hades could even respond, his youngest brother butted in.

"Oh, he's got blue balls because some nymph dumped his sorry ass," he drawled. Poseidon snickered, and Hades glowered at Zeus.

"Can you please not talk about my balls," he said in the long-suffering tone of someone who has dealt with their annoying younger siblings for millenia, raising his champagne to his mouth only to pause midway. "Or my ass, for that matter."

"_Can you please not talk about my balls, or my ass for that matter," _Zeus simpered, clutching his hands to his chest. The god of the sea guffawed on Hades' left, and Zeus winked and finger-gunned his oldest brother, who had now folded his arms tightly across his chest and was staring at him indignantly. "That's what you sound like." However, Poseidon's laughter was cut off abruptly as he caught a glimpse of familiar glossy brown hair out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around, a sneer already pulling at his lips as his eyes narrowed, only to make full, direct eye contact with one Odysseus, who had the expression of a deer in the headlights. Immediately all the humor drained from the sea god's face as his eyes widened in fury, the green glow of his untamed power beginning to churn in the air around him.

"Zeus, did you invite _Odysseus?!_" He snarled, the swirling aquamarine tendrils snapping out angrily. On the other side of a now very uncomfortable Hades, the king the gods smirked, teeth glistening white, sparks of lightning dancing through his hair in mischievous delight.

"Yes, Poseidon! I find it really entertaining when you get mad." Hades winced minutely at his youngest brother's complete lack of shame. He could feel Poseidon getting more and more worked up next to him, and started to subtly eye the exits from the balcony. Personally, he had never understood Poseidon's vendetta against the mortal; Polyphemus _had_ been attempting to kill and eat him and all of his men. But he definitely wasn't about to get into that now, he thought as he watched the earth-shaker pound his fist into the miraculously thick glass with several hearty _thumps_.

"Yeah, Odysseus!" He shouted at the panicked mortal, face twisting in outrage at his mere existence. "MOVE ALONG!"

Brown eyes wide, Athena's favorite mortal retreated as fast as he possibly could without full-on running, hands up placatingly. He clearly had not forgotten his decade-long episode lost at sea. In his haste, he slammed full-speed straight into a petite woman, knocking her to the ground. She fell with a little gasp, dropping a sugary-looking drink onto the tiled floor where it shattered. As soon as Odysseus was out of sight, Poseidon and Zeus removed their attention from the guests moving as one on the dance floor below. Hades, however, found himself inexplicably frozen in place, staring with wide eyes at the bright pink stranger.

Vibrant petals, conjured out of nowhere, swirled gently around her as she knelt on the ground, entrancing the god of the dead. He swallowed thickly, lips parting just slightly as he gazed upon this beautiful woman in awe.

"W-Who…" He murmured, expression faltering slightly as he struggled not to gawk openly at her. The neon blue lights flashing across the party seemed to shine down like spotlights on her, making her short golden dress shimmer against the curves it hugged so tightly. She was blushing furiously, biting her lip and trying to collect all the petals she had conjured up, but Hades noticed none of this.

"Who is she?!"

Time seemed to slow as he watched her lift her head up and open round, soft eyes. He couldn't see anything, couldn't focus on anything except her thick, short hair, plump lips, her delicate face—just _her_. She was—she was…

"She's beautiful."


	3. Chapter 3

_...Who is she?_

Unbeknownst to Hades, the god of the dead's eyes burned intensely in the dark of the balcony level, streaks of red glowing brightly in his sudden moment of passion. He bit his lip harshly as his hands automatically leapt up to grab at his heart. The organ seemed to have grown three sizes, each beat echoing loudly in his ears and throbbing in his chest.

_THUMP THUMP._

The woman pursed her lips and furrowed her brows in what was almost a pout, and Hades' stomach flipped funnily at the expression.

_THUMP THUMP._

_She has freckles_, he noticed distractedly. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and lifted her gaze up, her magenta eyes making him forget to breathe for a moment. He squeezed the fabric of his suit jacket.

_THUMP THUMP._

There were petals held in her arms, dozens of them. Many of them were pink, the same warm color of her skin. The rest, though… the rest were blue. Like _his_ skin.

Another goddess entered the scene and the otherworldly moment abruptly broke like a bubble being burst. Hades blinked stupidly as the deity he now recognized as Artemis reached out to help the mystery woman to her feet with a smile.

"Who? Pinky?" Hands still pressed against the glass, Hades distantly recognized the voice as Zeus. Now on her feet, the woman was smiling shyly at Odysseus, one hand tucked behind her back and the other resting on her hip, as he seemed to apologize profusely for the incident. Hades swallowed down the lump in his throat.

"P-Pinky?" He asked, a flush of embarrassment running through him as he stuttered reflexively. Eyes upturned and mouth in a shaky line from his sudden self-consciousness, he was sure he looked like a tiny, sad puppy. (He did in fact look like a tiny, sad puppy.) He reluctantly tore his eyes away from the glass for just a moment to hear what his brother had to say about the beautiful creature below them.

"Persephone, she's Demeter's daughter."

He was too weak. The king of the Underworld's gaze almost immediately drifted back to the woman—_Persephone_, he thought, turning the name over in his mind—where she was still conversing with a mortified Odysseus. Artemis stood off to the side like a guard dog, eyeing Odysseus disdainfully. A single shaft of light seemed to beam down on Persephone's head and glance off of her shiny pink hair, unnoticed by anyone but Hades.

"She's the goddess of spring."

_Spring_. It made sense that such a perfect being's domain would be the most lovely time of year; warm, green, and filled with life. Hades briefly leaned his forehead against the window, lips parting in a silent sigh. Then, with a sudden burst of determination, he snatched his thick-rimmed, black glasses out of his suit jacket and furiously cleaned the dirty lenses. He chewed on the inside of his mouth, his brothers' blatant surprise at his abrupt mood change setting him on edge. The god of the Underworld, lord over all the riches in the earth, the Unseen One, was incurable short-sighted. This would not do, not when he felt the irrational urge to study every detail of Persephone and fix her image in his mind forever. Pursing his lips, Hades all but rammed his glasses onto his face and squinted at the goddess of spring. He brought his champagne glass to his mouth and sipped absentmindedly at it, unaware of the blue haze now glowing gently around his person. Persephone, the poor thing, was blushing now, looking awfully embarrassed by her purple friend, who had draped an arm over her back and was holding her fingers up in the universal sign of "loser" at Odysseus. Hades was blushing himself now, eyebrows scrunched together slightly in his nervousness.

"Demeter's daughter, you say?" He asked, voice distinctly higher in pitch than usual. His drink, held up at a 180-degree angle and long forgotten at this point, was pouring steadily from his glass onto the marble floor. Immediately both of his brothers lit up mischievously. Zeus' eyes widened in delight, eyebrows raised dramatically as he smirked at a grinning Poseidon. "I didn't even know she had a daughter."

Persephone was now waving an awkward goodbye to an even more awkward Odysseus before returning to Artemis' side, whereupon her friend took her arms in hers and apparently comforted her. It was in the middle of watching this exchange when a thought struck Hades, temporarily confusing his thoughts.

"Hold on," he said, frowning, hands on his hips. "How have I never seen her before?" Zeus smiled slyly at his older brother's obvious infatuation before answering him.

"It's complicated," he responded crisply as he took a sip of his champagne. For a few seconds, something like regret crossed the ruler's face; he looked somewhere into the middle distance before shutting his eyes in a silent sigh. The moment, however, was gone in a blink, and Zeus continued, leaning back and side-eyeing his brother. "But basically, Demeter doesn't like the way I run things… So she opted to do her duties in the mortal realm."

Hades folded his arms around himself tightly as he listened with a frown. Poseidon, meanwhile, was leaning in curiously; it turned out Hades wasn't the only one in the dark.

"Apparently I'm 'morally corrupt', whatever that means." Zeus made over-exaggerated air quotes with his fingers as he rolled his eyes dismissively. "So for the most part, she raised Persephone in the Mortal Realm." Hades' traitorous brain checked out from the conversation once again to imagine Persephone back with the mortals, in her element. White flowers circled her hair like a crown, petals floating above her palms as she knelt in the greenery that was blooming to life around her. He forcefully dragged himself back to reality, trying not to blush again.

"I'm surprised Demeter let her move to the city, to be honest," his youngest brother was declaring. "She's always been super protective of Persephone."

Throat feeling like it was clogged by a golf ball, the blue god pinched his glasses between his thumb and forefinger to peer back over the rim at Persephone heatedly. His eyebrows scrunched together slightly, eyes glowing a soft red once more as he drank her in; her delicate fingers pressed over her plump lips just under her upturned nose; the light blush coating her pink cheeks as she straightened up gracefully; the mesmerizing curves of her breasts and hips under that scandalously short dress… All of her seemed to sparkle. She looked like she was floating just like the petals she had conjured instead of standing on her feet, rooted to the earth by gravity. She was absolutely ethereal in every sense of the word, beautiful beyond words, and without thinking, Hades let slip a declaration that would only bring him trouble.

"Honestly, I think she puts Aphrodite to shame." He shrugged, grinning for the first time that night—that day, even—and his brothers grinned back, delighted at the sudden buoying of their eldest brother's spirits. Unbeknownst to the three gods, however, there was a fourth listener sitting idly on a bench a few meters behind them. The listener stilled at Hades' words, now completely ignoring their bright pink phone they had previously been so occupied by, shock coating their face. They ran the sentence through their head again and again, stuck on it.

_"Honestly, I think she puts Aphrodite to shame."_

The surprise swiftly changed to an insulted scowl, their lavender hand coming up to rest on their busty chest in indignation. Every movement, angry as they were, appeared prim and elegant when done by her.

_"Honestly, I think she puts **Aphrodite** to shame."_

Furious, the slim figure jerked to their feet on six-inch stilettos and whirled their head around to find the culprit. Their round eyes immediately landed on where Hades was still standing with his brothers, oblivious to the silent observer's rage. Her face darkened and she started towards the three gods, then abruptly stopped. Narrowing her eyes shrewdly, the goddess slowly sat back down at her seat and brought her phone back up to her face. With pursed lips and a vindictive glare, she texted message after message at lightning speed. The contact on the other end responded just as quickly to the grumpy cat gif she sent him.

_What's wrong, Mommy-kins?_

_Party no fun?_

**Get over here.**

_No can do, this orgy isn't going to coordinate itself._

Then, after pausing to spam several sunglass-face emojis:

_I wore a really cute polo shirt…_

**The salmon pink one?**

_YUUUUUS! I'M THE CUTEST!_

**I love that one!**

The goddess replied just as enthusiastically with a heart-eyes emoji before getting back on track.

**Polo shirts aside, I still need you to get your butt here.**

And with a final angry emote, Aphrodite laid out her revenge to Eros.


	4. Chapter 4

The three brothers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, the outer two standing casually and looking relaxed while the middle one grimaced out at the party raging below them. His frown was so severe it was almost comical. He fidgeted stiffly with his clothes, tugging at his cufflinks and pulling at the lapel of his suit jacket. His brows dipped lower and lower, until finally he snapped.

"I need to talk to her," he announced in a tone that brooked no argument. Still, despite his certainty, he felt his gaze drift to Persephone's purple companion, who was giggling beside her, tucking a stray hair behind the tiny goddess' ear. " …But she's with Artemis." His heart sank into his stomach as he watched the two friends dance, laughing and leaning into each other without a care in the world, completely unaware of how intently they were being watched. He flinched irritably as Poseidon dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Who passionately hates you," the sea god supplied helpfully. Hades pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at his tactless sibling.

"WOW!" Hades suddenly exclaimed with biting sarcasm, making Poseidon jump and jerk his hand back, startled. "_Really,_ Poseidon?" He questioned, throwing his palms up in the air. His faux-jovial expression withered in record time as he turned to snarl at his brother. "_I hadn't noticed!_"

"Okay, okay, okay, I've got a plan," Zeus interrupted before Poseidon could do much more than glare back. Hades eyed his youngest brother's shrewd expression, then sighed and turned his gaze forwards again in defeat.

"Hit me," he sniffed. Zeus smoothly turned to mimic his brother before detailing the plan.

"I'll distract Artemis. While I'm doing that, you talk to Persephone."

"Perfect." Eyes big and eager like an overexcited puppy, Poseidon jabbed a finger at himself.

"What do I do?" Hades and Zeus froze in place for a split second and stared at their brother, having completely forgotten his presence. They glanced awkwardly at each other, scrambling to come up with something, before Zeus half-assed an obviously arbitrary task that made Hades want to facepalm.

"Errrr, stay here and drink a beer?" The King of the gods suggested, making finger-guns at Poseidon. Poseidon grinned and returned the gesture with enthusiasm.

"I'm on it." Resisting the urge to sigh with relief, Hades casted his eyes towards the heavens. Thank the Fates Poseidon was dumb as a brick and had no problem being excluded. As long as he didn't get involved, nothing could possibly go wrong.

* * *

"… And so I punched him in the face, and that was that!" Artemis was finishing happily, a self-satisfied grin on her face, when Zeus placed a hand on her shoulder. Both she and Persephone turned towards him questioningly.

"Hello Artemis," Zeus greeted, smiling amicably, hands on his hips as he looked the goddess of the hunt up and down. "You're looking splendid as always." Artemis perked up, smiling back at her father. She folded her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels as Persephone turned away behind her, feeling awkward.

"Hey Zeus, great party." Perfect, he had gotten her attention. Zeus' grin sharpened as he went in for the kill.

"Word on the street is your marksmanship is excellent but your brother's is still second to none," he remarked seemingly off-handedly, letting his gaze rove lazily around the party. As expected, Artemis froze, utter confusion taking over her face, only to give way to indignant fury.

"SAYS WHO!?" She growled, hands balling into fists and purple cheeks darkening. Persephone gaped at the display. Even Zeus was taken aback as she stabbed a sharp nail into his chest aggressively. "I WANT TO SETTLE THIS RIGHT NOW!" Cocking her head, the goddess of spring clasped her hands together in front of her and schooled her expression into something more polite, content to wait for the argument to blow over. She knew how hot-headed her friend was, and was well aware that this could take a while. What she was not aware of, however, was the god of desire running up behind her and examining her over her shoulder, squinting down at the tiny pink goddess his mother had been so intimidated by. She was young, he noticed—very young. He leaned in, trapping her with a hand on either shoulder, ignoring her jump of surprise and deep blush as he murmured in her ear.

"Hey kiddo. Wanna have some real fun?" Round eyes wide-open, Persephone slowly shifted her gaze over to the lavender god behind her. Eros smiled.

* * *

Satyrs and nymphs gossiped drunkenly as a tall being shrouded in black stomped up the stairs, a terrifying glare on his face. From the other side of the glass, the being's brother whistled at his tightly folded arms and the deep blue haze trailing behind him like a tangible gloom.

"Yeesh, that's a mood." Poseidon sipped nonchalantly at his beer as Hades materialized next to him, arms crossed over his chest, eyes blood red and a dark frown on his face. "Strike out already?" He jabbed with a shit-eating grin on his face. Hades snapped his head towards him with an audible crack and glowered down at him past the bridge of his nose. Then he sighed, fury fading into a kind of irritated self-loathing.

"Worse, I couldn't even find her!" He snapped, trying to combat the despondence clogging his chest with anger. He bit back his frustration, struggling not to slump in on himself. Of course this would happen, _of course._ He was just always going to be cursed by the damned Fates to be alone, wasn't he? He groaned dramatically and let his arms drop in defeat. "It's as if she vanished into thin air!"

* * *

Meanwhile, wherever "thin air" was, Persephone miserably pressed herself back into a couch she didn't remember sitting in.

_Where did Artemis go?_ Eyes half lidded, she glanced wearily around the room she was in, skipping uninterestedly over the man standing guard by the door. Her eyes widened as a thought. Maybe her friend had just needed some time to herself? That would be embarrassing if she had been intruding on her. _I guess I don't want to be clingy… _A fuzzy, smiling blob appeared in front of her.

"Another drink?" It said. She wrinkled her nose. Why was it being so loud?

_I feel… _She let her eyes roll over towards the window, where a shaft of moonlight was beaming into the room. Her brows furrowed in despair. _I feel awful._ She felt herself droop like a wilting flower, head hanging as the blob held out a drink across from her. _I thought meeting all these new people would make me happy_, she thought wistfully. _But I just feel more lonely than ever._ Tears stung at her eyes as she closed them, a yawning emptiness opening up like a pit inside her. _I wish the room would stop spinning._ She leaned back against the plush surface she was on, twisting uncomfortably. _I want to go home._ Persephone bit her lip, and everything went dark. Mouth twisted in a grimace, Eros set down the last untouched drink and leaned over to pick up the pink goddess bridal-style, being as gentle as he could.

"I'm very sorry about all of this," he murmured, trying to assuage the guilt bubbling up in his stomach. _So young_, it whispered. _She's so young._ He swallowed thickly. "But as far as I'm concerned… Aphrodite's word is law."

* * *

Hours later, a beam of light shone on long, glossy tendrils of pink hair that spooled out across blue bedding and floor like liquid. The source cast a light directly on the face of a sleeping goddess, highlighting the vibrant pink petals resting on the bed she was tucked into all around her. Her delicate brows scrunched up in her slumber, and she crinkled her nose before cracking one magenta eye open. Still consumed by the fog of sleep, Persephone propped herself up, blinking sluggishly, before her expression suddenly switched to one of horror. She jerked up and yanked the blanket straight to her chin as she stared at the dark, unfamiliar room, shivering. Panic welled up inside of her, and she suddenly felt like a lost child.

"W-Where am I!?"

Behind her, three sleek dog heads all conjoined to one body stared out from a grand tapestry.


	5. Chapter 5

_Persephone, you've really outdone yourself this time… _the goddess of spring thought to herself nervously as she poked her head out the doorway of the bedroom she had woken up in. Chewing on her nails anxiously, she peeked out at the large, airy hallway. Though there were no visible light sources, the whole space was illuminated by some kind of bluish light, revealing the modern, arching ceiling and large double doors at each end. The young goddess stepped out of the doorway timidly, her hair growing longer and longer by the second with her rising stress. She came to a spiral staircase, just as wide and grand as the hallway, and stepped down it slowly, eyes huge as she craned her head to look all around her. She paused briefly in the middle of the staircase, her nerves freezing her in place as petals sprouted all around her. Round, doll-like eyes darted around the unfamiliar house as she bit her bottom lip. She didn't recognize _any _of this. What on Earth was she going to do? _It's alright. Everything will be fine, it's alright._

After taking a moment to compose herself, Persephone continued the rest of the way down the stairs, only to come to a halt again to gape at the sight that confronted her at the bottom. The whole wall in front of her was entirely made of glass, the architecture of it looking ridiculously expensive, but that was not what gave her pause.

"No way…" she murmured to herself, covering her face with a delicate pink hand in astonishment. Just outside the window was… well, nothing. It seemed as though she was situated in a black void, empty except for glittering rivers of stars and distant comets. The inky darkness seemed to permeate the very room, making each speck of heat and gas shine that much brighter by comparison. It was mysterious, it was beautiful—but it was also impossible. "It's nine A.M…. How can it still be dark out?"

Persephone should've been afraid. She had woken up in a dark, strange place with no recollection of how she got there, only to find out that time somehow did not exist here. Either that, or light didn't exist here. She didn't know which was the worse option. But despite this, all she could register was the wonder that washed over her in waves. The tiny goddess crept closer and closer to the gigantic window until she was pressed up against the glass. There she stood, eyes wide and glowing in the starlight, hair trailing behind her like a warped version of Rapunzel. And she gazed out at the shooting stars and the blazing blue trails they left behind, and all she could think was one word.

… _Beautiful._

* * *

"I'm _not _into this."

Roughly ten hours earlier, the moon was beaming down through the haze of clouds on two figures as they made their way through a crowded parking lot filled with sleek, expensive cars.

"I'm _not _happy with myself." Upon further observation, one would notice that one of these figures, the taller of the two, was cradling a third, smaller form in their arms. This tall figure was very cross, whole body tense and rigid and an almost comical frown seemingly glued to his face. "I'm _so _uncomfortable right now."

"Oh, stop fussing and hurry up," the other figure, Aphrodite, huffed as she strutted down the asphalt as though it were a runway. "Serves her right for being so trusting," she scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. The imperious goddess abruptly twirled on her feet, tapping her cheek pensively with one perfectly manicured finger. "Eros, do you know how to pick locks?"

Eros had long given up any pretense of being remotely alright with this.

"Ma, what the fuck are we doing?" He demanded bluntly. His mother's jaw dropped and she put her hands on her hips, taken aback. She didn't have any time to interrupt, though, before the glowering god steamrolled ahead, voice raising louder and louder with each word. "I left a perfectly good orgy for this," he complained, voice taking on a whiny tone. "I thought you had an actual emergency. It's late. I'm cold. Look at this girl." He hefted the pink goddess in his arms higher, cradling her head carefully, a pout forming on his face. "She's like the personification of a friggin' cinnamon roll! An adorable, pink cinnamon roll."

Persephone made a tiny, kitten-like noise in her drunken unconsciousness and shifted in Eros' arms. Aphrodite crossed her arms and pouted angrily right back at her son, who now looked even angrier than her. He held Persephone tighter, suddenly protective.

"Why are you jealous of a cinnamon roll?!"

The roar of wasted party-goers echoing from the thrumming mansion a few hundred yards away reminded the god of lust that that he and his mother weren't necessarily alone, and he gritted his teeth to suck in a deep, calming breath before forcing a smile on his face and lowering his voice down to an appropriate level.

"Let's just take her back to Artemis and tell her you're feeling a bit more deranged than usual," he finally said in a placating manner, the way an adult would try and tell a small child to calm down. Aphrodite was not impressed.

"Check that sassy attitude, Mr. Man," she snapped, swinging one hip out to the side and giving Eros a deadpan glare as his expression reverted immediately back to a frown. She whipped her high ponytail out from her face to better display the crocodile tears she easily conjured up. "You still owe me big time after that bullshit you pulled with Psyche," she cried before dropping the act completely to level a pointed stare at her son. "You want to see her, right?"

Eros' heart dropped. Conflicted, he grimaced, thoughts invaded by _PsychePsychePsyche. _He looked down at the tiny pink cinnamon roll in his arms, looked back up at his mother, and, as the goddess of beauty had expected, set his jaw in reluctant surrender. She raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow and smirked.

"Yeah, I thought as much. Now help me find his car." The pair resumed their walk through the lot, but not without more grousing from Aphrodite. "Stupid Hades!" She grumbled, balling her hands up into tight fists. Eros rolled his eyes behind her.

"Since when did you give a crap about the King of the Underworld?"

"It's about respect!" Aphrodite retorted, whipping her head around to give him an icy look.

"I'm pretty sure that breaking into someone else's car is a crime."

"Listen—"

"Aaaand it's not very respectful."

"Listen. _Listen!_" Aphrodite finally interjected, eyes glittering maliciously. "We're gonna hide her in his car. Once he gets home, he'll find her. She'll be super drunk and do a buttload of embarrassing stuff. He will think she's totally gross." The goddess briefly adopted a poorly done imitation of Hades' low, rumbling voice. "_'I'm a big-stupid-idiot and Aphrodite is the most beautiful goddess ever,'_" she mimicked before continuing on to detail the rest of her elaborate plan. "And then! Since he took her home super drunk, she'll think he's a creepy old man." Now having gotten her excitement out of her system, Aphrodite rocked back on the balls of her feet and settled down. "That's the plan." There was a moment of silence as mother stared up at son hopefully. Eros sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fresh hell, I am so embarrassed for you right now," he grumbled. "Mom, you have such a distorted view of people these days."

* * *

Hours later, just as he was pulling into an intersection, the god of the Underworld was startled by a beeping noise. Broad shoulders jumping slightly in surprise, he looked over his shoulder towards the backseat where the sound of a buzzing phone was coming from—a phone that was not his.

"_When did you stop seeing the best in people?"_

A woman. There was a woman curled up in the back of his car, sleeping fitfully, dress stained and a note with a heart taped to her thigh. Moreover, it was the woman he had been crushing on like a teenage boy the whole night: Persephone. Hades' jaw dropped, and his shock was swiftly overtaken by panic. _What_—_How_—_How did she get in my car?!_ He got his answer when he ripped the note off in a hurry, mouth suddenly tasting like sandpaper. He almost wished he didn't know why at all, because now he knew who was to blame for this precious creature laying in a stranger's car without her knowledge, obviously miserable. Fates above, he was so stupid.

_"When did you forget about kindness?"_

It was late, nearly two in the morning, and Hades had no idea where this Persephone lived. There was only one option, and yet he still felt like walking garbage for taking her into his home without her consent. As he carried her out from his driveway to his front door, trying to be as gentle as possible, a few pink butterflies landed on her neck and outstretched arm. He knew that they shouldn't be out at night, and it was only the spring goddess that was attracting them. He studiously avoided staring at the beautiful woman and the butterflies fluttering atop her as his heart warmed a bit.

_"When did you forget about love?"_

A large, slim, black dog sat at attention ramrod-straight in the foyer as it waited for its owner to get home. The second it heard the door creak open, however, it abandoned all sense of decorum and leapt to its feet, tail wagging and all three of its heads bobbing up and down frantically as it let out a piercing whine. It stilled, though, when Hades shushed it with a worried look on his face.

"Settle down, you might scare her," he whispered, glancing down at the precious cargo he was carrying. The lord of the Underworld sighed, brows furrowing as he closed his eyes to think for a moment. "I'm just—I'm just going to put you down for a sec', okay?" He finally murmured, softly setting the goddess down in an office chair much too big for her. Wasting no time, Hades turned and headed for his kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it in the sink. He felt bad waking her up, but with the amount she seemed to have drunk, she was going to need lots of water, or she would wake up feeling terrible.

"You should drink some water," he said quietly, trying not to startle her too badly as he kneeled down to her level. Persephone blinked her eyes open blearily, expression dazed and glassy. His chest ached in pity for her. _All your fault… Stupid, _stupid_… _Hades' heart should have been beating out of his chest as he cupped the beautiful goddess' cheek to tilt the glass to her plump lips, but all he felt was sadness. She looked so upset… Someone like her didn't deserve to be this upset. He should have just kept his mouth shut. He should have looked around, checked to see if anyone was listening to him run his mouth about this girl he didn't even know. But he didn't, and now he had incurred a goddess' wrath on a completely innocent party.

Stomach twisting itself into knots of guilt, Hades picked Persephone back up once she had finished drinking and set off to one of his many empty guest rooms. Normally he would be glad he finally had an excuse to use them, but not tonight. Not under these circumstances. Hades chewed pensively on the inside of his cheek as he walked, only to catch himself staring down at Persephone's sleeping form huddled against his chest. He immediately looked away.

"Sorry for manhandling you…" he apologized, not even sure if she could hear him. Just as he was about to lay her down on the lush queen-sized bed, he noticed she was still wearing her cotton-candy pink heels. He quickly maneuvered around her to remove them. "If you sleep with your shoes on, you'll get sores on your feet." His eyes slipped shut briefly as he thought of all the nights he had flopped into bed fully-dressed, overworked and exhausted and filled with a deep ache from some unresolved argument with Minthe. And then, of all the mornings after, waking up cold and shaken from a forgotten nightmare with blisters on the soles of his feet. "Trust me, I know."

Averting his eyes so as to not accidentally get a glimpse under her dress as he lowered her onto the mattress, Hades started as soft, small hands cupped his face in protest, grabbing at him as their owner mumbled unintelligibly beneath him. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he couldn't help the way his face screwed up in a mixture of bliss and pain as she trailed one hand over his lips. When was the last time Minthe had touched him so kindly? When was the last time _anyone _had? _She's asleep, _he reminded himself, a lump in his throat. _She doesn't know what she's doing. Otherwise…_

Otherwise she would never touch him so sweetly.

"Come on now, stop that," he chided gently, reluctantly pulling her hands away from his face. It hurt to do so, but it felt wrong letting her try to cuddle him when she was intoxicated and unaware of what was happening around her. He cleared his throat roughly, something stinging the space behind his eyes, and stood up to tuck her in. "I'm going to bed, okay?" Persephone stared tiredly at him, looking like she wasn't registering a word he was saying. "Goodnight."

So Hades turned, tiptoed as quietly as humanly (Godly?) possible to the door, and was just about to exit so he could wallow in self-hatred for a good three hours instead of sleeping when there was a sudden sniffle from behind him. He froze immediately, eyes wide in panic, grimacing slightly. If there was one thing he wasn't good with, it was emotions. Hell, he didn't even understand what was going on in his own head, how was he supposed to help someone with what was going through theirs? Still, he returned to the side of the bed, another wave of sadness washing over him as he watched tears start to leak out of the corners of Persephone's eyes.

"I can take you home if you want?" He said tentatively, palms upturned helplessly. "I just don't know where you live." What came out of the little goddess' mouth was not at all what he expected.

"Please don't tell my mom how drunk I got tonight," Persephone whispered shamefully. "She'll make me move back home if she finds out." Her bottom lip quivered, and Hades' surprise at the source of her worry softened into sympathy.

"Your mother?" He asked. "Demeter and I aren't exactly best buds," he said, smiling tenderly. "I may be a lot of things, but I'm no snitch." Persephone just kept staring up at him with those big puppy-dog eyes, face flushed from crying. He sighed. "Sweetness, don't get worked up," he murmured, the term of endearment leaving his mouth before he could think twice about it. "Everything will seem a thousand times better in the morning." _I promise._

Dark eyes stared worriedly into bright, tear-filled ones for a few seconds. The whole house was still and silent as the two immortals gazed at each other. Then, whatever he said seemed to have worked, because the tears stopped, and with a little sigh of her own, Persephone fell back into sleep, head resting on her hands and the flush faded into a light blush coating her cheeks. Relieved, the god of the Underworld drew the comforter up to cover her bare shoulders before finally taking his leave. He ended up on one of his many balconies, hands gripping the railing tightly as all the guilt and shame finally came crashing down. He should never have compared her to Aphrodite.

_This is all my fault._


	6. Chapter 6

_All was silent. Birds flew overhead and lush pink petals fluttered in the breeze, and yet Persephone could not hear their movement. The world seemed to come to a halt, hanging still like a moment in a picture frame. She was waiting, but for what, she wasn't sure. So she busied herself with studying the rose bush in front of her, watching as each flower opened up for her. It could have been days that she stood there, or it could have been minutes. Time was of no value here, its rushing waters settled into a stagnant pond. At some point, though, this pond was disturbed by ripples._

_ "Persephone."_

_ At the first sound she had heard since finding herself here in this garden, Persephone turned to look over her shoulders, the petals she had conjured dancing up and away in reaction to her surprise. The voice, matronly and stern, spoke to her once more._

_ "Sweetheart, come here."_

_ "I'm just finishing up, Mama!" Persephone called back, returning her focus to the greenery before her, the noiseless wind blowing her hair about her face. Demeter stood before her now, tall and elegant in comparison to her diminutive stature and ample curves, and Persephone remembered neither one of them moving to approach the other. She was here now, though, a proud smile adorning her as she cupped her daughter's face in her hands._

_ "You've been working very hard, so I got you a present." _

_ "R-Really?!" Persephone said, grabbing at Demeter's arms in excitement. The goddess of the harvest's smile grew wider as she chuckled fondly. _

_ "It's this way." She steered Persephone with one gentle hand on her shoulder. It was not long before they arrived at their destination. She simply took one step, blinked, and there they were, skipping ahead in time like an old, scratched vinyl on a record player. She gasped, clapping her small pink hands to her face, excitement distracting her from the strange shift._

_ "Oh my!" Looming before the pair was a beautiful glass greenhouse, glittering in the sun like a diamond. It was enormous, its dome rivaling even the Pantheon's, and Persephone whirled around to stare at her mother, incredulous. "Is this greenhouse really for me?" She asked, not daring to believe such grandeur was hers. But Demeter nodded, eyes crinkling with a grin as she stooped down to her daughter's level. _

_ "Absolutely," she said. "You earned it." For a moment, Persephone was speechless. All of this, for a mere flower goddess. What would she even do with all that space? Demeter, noticing her shock, laughed, a twinkle in her eyes. "Don't just stare at it," she teased. "Have a look inside!" _

_ "Heh!" Persephone curved her lips up shyly, euphoria beginning to bubble up inside of her. Sparkling and leaving inky trails of florid pink behind her in her excitement, the spring goddess rushed into the greenhouse, racing around with a wide, open smile as she took everything in. She laughed as she ran, eyes open wide, afraid that if she blinked for even a second she would miss something. Finally, she came to a halt, sighing contentedly as she let herself just breathe and enjoy the greenhouse—_her _greenhouse—for a moment, hands clasped behind her back as she rocked on the balls of her feet. Power surged through her body, lighting her up from the inside, and she raised her arms into the air to lift vines and rose bushes from the ground. The flowers twisted up and around the pillars of the room, illuminated by her glowing form, and she crossed her arms in satisfaction. Soon she would decorate these walls with even more wonderful colors, but for now, she had other duties to attend to. _

_ "I think I'm ready to leave now…" she announced, face bright as she turned to exit. Something was wrong, though. She could have sworn she had come in from the space behind her, and yet, as she walked over to leave, she was met with nothing but a glass wall. Her face fell and she curled in on herself slightly. "But I can't…" she murmured, stomach sinking in sickening dread. She looked to her right, willing herself to be wrong, but was again confronted with nothing but walls and windows. Panic was starting to well up inside of her now, bitter on her tongue and clogging the back of her throat. "There is no…" Her hands wavered uncertainly in the air as she glanced left. Still nothing. Persephone spun around and found nothing but walls, solid and unyielding, pressing in on her, suffocating her… "THERE IS NO DOOR!"_

_A small voice echoed through the large, empty room. _

"_I took the doors away." _

_Demeter stood just outside one of the many windows, fingers worrying the straps of her dress as she watched her only child cry out in fear. Persephone rushed to the window, sinking to her knees and banging on the thick glass._

"_MAMA, NO!" Demeter's form was ballooning bigger and bigger until just one eye filled the window, staring at her sorrowfully. She didn't know when, but the cool room had changed color, illuminating itself in a blood red light that drew long shadows on the walls like monsters ready to devour her whole. Persephone's hand went lax on the glass as tears spilled down her cheeks. "You don't have to do this," she whispered. Demeter brushed her gigantic fingers against the window, mirroring her daughter's hand from the other side of it._

"_Persephone, I know this may seem cruel, but it's for the best." The young girl shook her head rapidly, willing her mother to understand, to let her out. _

"_Don't make me stay in here, I promise to be good!" The eye stared back, now impassive and alien. _

"_When you're in here…" Demeter said, voice soft and cold. Her head rose up, face blocking out the sun behind her. Her eyes were black like a beetle's, shining coldly. "... No one can hurt you." The brittle whisper morphed suddenly into mad fury, and with it Demeter was gone, leaving only the eye, bulging and reptilian, as a shriek filled the air. "_NO ONE!_" It cut into Persephone, stabbing deep, and she fell to the ground, hands pressed over her ears and eyes tightly shut against the monster and its tortured scream. The ground shook as it raged, the glass cracking, and the sound was wrapping itself around and around her, twisting and boiling over—_

_And Persephone knew that she would never step outside again._

* * *

Standing before the nebulous void she had found herself in hours later, Persephone still did not know what to make of the dream. Well, she _did_ know, but admitting it to herself was another matter entirely. For now, she had a legitimate distraction from confronting her inner turmoil. She had been on her own for all of two seconds, only to manage to wake up in a stranger's bed with no memory of getting there. Oh, and wherever she was somehow existed outside of the laws of time, judging by the pitch blackness outside despite the time of day. _Fantastic._

_Maybe mom was right? _She thought, remembering the nightmare she had awoken from as another comet shot by. _Am I too naive to be on my own? _Maybe. But Persephone didn't want to think about Demeter, her nightmare, or greenhouses anymore today. Not when she had found herself in such a strange and wonderful realm to explore. The goddess leaned against the window, its seamless design casting away memories of the segmented walls of the greenhouse. Stars twinkled down kindly at her, soothing her thoughts.

"I've never seen anything like it before…" she mused to herself, drumming her knuckles against her chin. She could have stood there gazing out at the night sky for hours, marvelling at its beauty and mystery, but the fact still stood that she was in an unfamiliar place with no knowledge of how she ended up there. Persephone sighed and looked longingly at the stars one last time before finally tearing herself away from the window to make her way further into the house—and, hopefully, closer to the door out.

"Man, how big is this place?" This place was practically a maze, one that she easily lost herself in. More disconcerting than the sheer size and grandeur of it, however, was the emptiness. She felt like a tiny fish all alone in the wide open ocean. There were no children running through the starlit courtyards, no maids or other workers bustling about taking care of tasks. The only reason she could think of to own a home this large was to house a big, rambling family, but from the bare walls and oppressive silence she got the feeling that there was no such family living here. The mansion was massive, and yet she saw no indication of life in it. Persephone peeked into another hall, hoping that maybe someone who could help her would be here, but she had no such luck. Still, she deviated from her path to explore it after seeing rows and rows of ancient Greek helms in perfect condition lining the walls.

"Woah…" She shamelessly trailed her fingers along several of the polished bronze helmets, marveling at the size and variety of the collection. They ranged from Thracian, to Corinthian, to Athenian, and beyond, all shining under the blue light illuminating the space. Persephone felt like she was in a museum—albeit, one that had closed for the day—as she raked her eyes over the priceless artifacts. She wondered if their owner had accrued them by buying them out from other wealthy collectors, or if they had actually worn them into battle. If it was another god who lived here, especially an Olympian, it could be possible. Then again, they had to be huge to have worn any of these; they were gigantic compared to her head. She almost tried one on out of childish impulse, only to remember that she was in a stranger's home touching all of their very valuable possessions. Her cheeks went hot from embarrassment and she quickly drew her hands back and glued them to her sides, checking for security cameras. She didn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Persephone hastily retreated from the hall of helmets and resumed her search, now doubly hoping to find an exit rather than the owner of the priceless artifacts she had just touched.

It wasn't five minutes before Persephone got distracted again, this time by a library. The shelves were so full of books she thought they would all come bursting out if she tried to fit even one more on. She briefly entertained the idea of curling up here on an overstuffed sofa with warm tea and losing herself in a novel for hours, but the ambience was all wrong. It was cold and impersonal, more like a public library than a room in someone's home. Still, she couldn't help but browse the shelves, her amazement growing with each new title. Some of these books weren't even in print anymore, belonging more to an ancient scroll than a modernly bound hardback. She shook her head dizzily. How old was the deity (because she knew now that they had to be a god, with all these riches and relics of ancient times) that lived here?

… And how long had they been here alone?

There were no chairs in this library. No cozy couches, no family photos, no knick knacks or objects of comfort. It felt lonely in here, surrounded by the words of authors long dead, and something soft and sad welled up inside Persephone. She wondered if this god felt as lonely in their own home as she did. She wondered why anyone would have such wealth and no one to share it with. The books here were gathering dust, now that she looked closer, and she had the stupid urge to gather them up and read them all so their contents wouldn't go to waste. Either this god was very greedy and materialistic, or… Or she didn't know. She didn't understand how anyone could be happy living like this, a wicked old dragon hoarding their treasures.

_Maybe they aren't happy_, she thought sadly. The frown that had crept up onto her face still remained even as she left the abandoned library. Persephone was an empathetic creature, always had been. It was both her greatest strength and her biggest weakness, getting her into trouble as much as it helped her. She sniffed and tried to harden her heart. She had no reason to care why a stranger's house was so empty and dusty, nor to play psychologist and prescribe symptoms of it onto the owner. _Especially_ when it was still entirely possible that this being had kidnapped her and brought her here without her knowledge. The thought sobered her, and soon her frown had morphed into a slight scowl as she strode through the endless hallways and rooms. Mood already soured, her last straw came soon after, halting her in her tracks as she stared at the offender, mouth agape.

"You've got to be kidding me!" The goddess of spring scowled, one hand on her hip as she took in the room she had just found herself in. "That's just pretentious." Her arms swung out in an indignant gesture. "Who needs an indoor pool like this?!" Before she could either rant some more to nobody or storm away from the ridiculously enormous swimming pool, however, a low, rumbling growl emerged from the far corner of the room. Persephone perked up as she saw a sleek black dog sitting a few yards away from her, eyes narrowed. "Oh, hello." She took a small step towards the animal, intent on petting and pacifying it, only for it to growl again, louder this time. She stopped immediately, drawing her outstretched hand back to her chest as the beast snarled. It was pacing over to her now, and it became clearer and clearer that this was no ordinary guard dog. With each passing second it grew in size, hackles raising, teeth elongating into fangs as long and thick as her arm. It threw its gigantic head around in agitation as it finally reached her, two furry, black paws landing on either side and trapping her where she stood. Persephone dared not breathe as it pressed its long, wet snout to her chin and sniffed deeply, trying to decide on just how much of a threat she was. For a moment, she thought she was in the clear, letting her eyes slip closed in relief, only for the beast to huff and peel back its lips to reveal a staggering amount of teeth as its throaty growl started up again. She gulped, throat bobbing against its muzzle, and was just about to concede to her fate of getting eaten by the largest dog she had ever seen in the most pretentious house she had ever been in as two large, blue hands emerged from the corners of her vision. She peeked at them, alarmed when they reached towards her. In the end, though, they merely brushed past her face to grab that of the dog and push it away from her neck none too gently.

"Stop that!" The owner of the hands scolded, voice deep and stern, and the dog whined, tail darting between its legs in shame. With one last huff it drew back, the ground shaking as it flopped down on its belly petulantly, and the man standing over her let out a long-suffering sigh before pulling his hands back. Suddenly, though, he paused. Because now that the immediate threat was over, he seemed to have realized that he was standing flush against Persephone, her head laying against his broad chest as she gazed up at him curiously. A beat passed as the two gods stared at each other with wide eyes, each one drinking the other in. Persephone studied her saviour's chiseled jaw, defined nose, fluffy hair, and finally his eyes, just as surprised as she felt. Almost immediately, Persephone came to the conclusion that he was very, very handsome. Almost immediately, Persephone gulped. _Oh no._


End file.
